Source: Manila Bulletin
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – If Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar has ring hero Manny Pacquiao as supporter, Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. also boasts of a Manny Pacquiao as an ardent endorser here.
However, unlike Filipino boxing idol Pacquiao, Cebu City’s Manny Pacquiao is a lawyer who has given honor to Cebuanos when he placed third in the 1976 Bar examinations.
Now 61, Pacquiao, the lawyer, showed up at the jampacked reunion of “Green Movement” volunteers at the Cebu International Convention Center to personally tell Teodoro that he is strongly batting for his candidacy as president.
Pacquiao, who is running for vice mayor in Cebu City, was accompanied by his mayoral partner,
Georgia Osmeña, who belied claims by her brother, former Sen. Serge Osmeña, that Cebu City is a “Noynoy country,” saying that the “Cory magic” has shed off its popularity.
“Cory is different. I don’t think the magic can rub off on Noynoy. I want the people of Cebu City to vote for somebody who is capable to be president not because they miss Cory, they love Cory or they idolize Cory,” she said.
“Gibo is most qualified among all presidential candidates. We will be disfavoring our country if we will endorse any candidate based mainly on their popularity and their TV advertisements,” the vice mayoral bet said.
He added: “Gibo is capable of discharging his functions on the basis of initiative, on the basis of experience, and on the basis of intelligence.”
Asked if he has any words for his namesake, the boxing champ, lawyer Pacquiao said: “He can see his way around and probably change his mind soon and throw his support to a more qualified candidate.”
Meanwhile, politics divided anew the influential Osmeña family here with Georgia backing Teodoro while her brothers going for Aquino.
Georgia, who is representing Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said she has not asked her brothers – outgoing Mayor Tomas Osmeña and former Sen. Serge Osmeña, to endorse her candidacy for mayor.
She explained that Teodoro is her presidential candidate not only because she is a member of the administration party.
“We need to help him, we can’t play politics anymore. We should vote for somebody who is capable of running the country,” the mayoral bet stressed.
Senator Osmeña has predicted that LP presidential bet Aquino will win in Cebu City because his late mother has won the hearts of city voters.
Georgia also chided claims by certain candidates that majority of Cebu political leaders are not backing Teodoro.
“But I believe more of us in Cebu City will be supporting Gibo. We are solidly for Gibo, we will not change our mind, tonight or tomorrow, until the end,” she said.
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